By Priscilla Oye Ofori
Accra, Aug. 12, GNA — A survey on digital uses of text and image-based work in universities and colleges in Ghana by CopyGhana says there is concrete evidence of copyright abuse by lecturers and students.
It said there was also enough evidence of digital uses of text and image-based works in tertiary institutions.
Materials from the internet is the source of learning materials for majority of students at every level, representing 83.8 per cent for undergraduates, 84.4 per cent second degree,100 per cent (Doctor of Philosophy) PhD students and an overall of 83.8 per cent.
Dr Magnus Duncan, Research Consultant and Statistician, disclosed this in a presentation of findings of the WIPO-funded survey conducted in 2023 to monitor digital uses of text and image-based works in various tertiary institutions in Ghana.
It was released during the Copy Ghana Nationwide Sensitisation Workshop in Accra, to among other reasons, equip rightsholders with practical strategies for promoting and enforcing their copyrights in the digital transformation era.
Some 15 lecturers were randomly selected from each of the three universities with the largest lecturer population and 1000 students from selected universities and colleges in the country.
CopyGhana is the Reproduction Rights Organisation (RRO) of Ghana which licenses educational institutions and organisations to copy and reuse copyright protected materials from print and digital publications assigned to it by the rightsholders.
The goal of the survey included to collect and analyse data on extent of digital uses in user institutions, nature of works copied (originally in digital format, converted and reproduced) and purpose for converting works into digital formats (preservation or making it accessible) by institutions.
According to the survey, handouts prepared by lecturers were the main source of learning materials for undergraduates, however, materials from the internet were the main source for Masters and PhD students.
Concerning devices used in downloading electronic materials, 85.2 per cent of the students use mobile phone or tablet, laptop 67.4 per cent and 15.3 per cent, the Institutions’ Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre.
E-books and journals are the two most important e-materials downloaded by students.
The survey showed that an average of 91.8 per cent of materials downloaded were not
paid for.
Online electronic materials from various websites is the largest source of materials for lecturers, followed by hardcopy materials.
According to the report, almost every lecturer downloaded e-books, and learned/academic journals were downloaded by about nine out of every ten lecturers.
The most widely accessible source of e-materials is through printing as hard copies with 51. 3 whilst the least is through password protected sites with 21.8.
The majority, 81.3 per cent of lecturers make payments to publishers, 25.0 per cent pay to rightsowners’ agents and 18.8 per cent pay to authors.
The survey revealed that knowledge of copyright issues was low among lecturers with 34.5 per cent knowing the institution had copyright guidelines, 62.1 per cent were not aware of any such guidelines and 3.4 per cent indicated there was no such guidelines.
Mr Olav Stokkmo, Consultant, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)/ International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO), said collective management of rights was an important copyright ecosystem factor.
Collective management is one option within the copyright system that requires or allows rights holders to administer their rights through a Collective Management Organisation (CMO).
Mr Stokkmo said the benefits of Collective Management included rightsholders focusing on creative activities, having increased use of their works and benefiting financially for their use.
He said it could also create employment and improve societies’ economic well-being.
The WIPO Consultant said Collective Management of rights must focus on traditional hardcopies and digital copying and uses.
Miss Sarah Tran, Head of Regional Policy and Public Affairs, IFFRO, said RROs existed to offer efficient and comprehensive licensing solutions that facilitated fair and remunerated access to quality materials benefitting users and creators alike.
She said between 2019-2023, CopyGhana distributed over $405, 438 to rightsholders.
Miss Tran said a study carried out in the United Kingdom found that 25 per cent of authors received more than 60 per cent of their income from secondary users.
According to WIPO, Copyright (or author’s right) was a legal term used to describe the rights that creators had over their literary and artistic works.
Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture, and films, to computer programmes, databases, advertisements, maps, and technical drawings.
GNA